We tried this the other day with the world series, but it’s a topic that we’re probably not as passionate about this year after the debacle that was 2009. Since this is the first major transaction of the year, what better place to begin getting everyone’s opinions than here?

In case you forgot, the concept is simple. We always argue back and forth throughout the season about guys. We have people (me included) that at the time of a signing back peddle on how they felt. I think that’s OK as you begin to become more familiar with a player, but it’s nice to go back and have a point of reference for your feelings on a guy when he first started with the team.

For me, the Rudy Jamarillo signing seems to be one that has been hyped up just a little too much. I find it amusing that good hitters tend not to be good teachers and good teachers tend not be have been very good hitters. No coach can make that big a difference that it’s worth the hype Jaramillo has brought with his signing. When I saw the signing, I had a few thoughts:

If Jaramillo is such a good hitting coach, head and shoulders above everyone else is what I’ve heard, then how could Texas possibly let him go after having him on staff for 15 years?

If a hitting coach makes such a big difference, why didn’t the addition of Von Joshua make much of a difference mid-season? After all, he had a lot of experience with guys on the roster as they had come through the system.

Does the Jaramillo signing for multiple years force the new manager in 2011, whoever it may be, to not have complete control over who is on his coaching staff? It seems like it would.

I’d like to hear from you on the following.

FOR / AGAINST / INDIFFERENT – rate your approval or lack thereof for the signing of Rudy Jaramillo

What do you expect to see from the team as a result of his signing? Perhaps specific predictions on individual players. (i.e. – Does this mean someone like Soriano, who has worked with Jaramillo in Texas, will have the return to breakout status we need?)

How much stock do you put in hitting coaches?

In addition, we really could use a better, more catchy name for this series as well as perhaps a logo to use for it if we have any designers in the mix. Just saying. Alright, let’s here it. The only way this works is if everyone posts their thoughts. Don’t be afraid.

Joe Aiello is the founder of View From the Bleachers and one of the lead writers. Growing up in Chicago, he fondly remembers attending games in the bleachers before that was the popular thing to do. Currently Joe resides in North Carolina with his wife and three kids and helps people protect their assets as an independent insurance agent.
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You would not think that hitting coaches would make much difference. Players learn to hit as kids, and if what they learned then did not work, they would never have advanced far enough to even meet a ML hitting coach.
On the other hand, players tend to have a big psychological component to their hitting, so if they think a hitting coach can help them, it might.
You should be able to figure this out thru stats. If a hitting coach has a positive effect, averages should go up when players are exposed to them, and down when traded (or before being traded). This is way too complicated for me to figure out, but I bet Dave could.

Doc Raker

I don’t know much about Rudy Jaramillo. I know that the Texas Rangers always have an above average offense. I know that the ballpark in Arlington is hitter friendy and the ball seems to carry there. Is Rudy overated because of those facts much like Dusty Baker was overated by having Barry Bonds in the middle of his line up for a decade or was Rudy instrumental in making those Ranger teams above average offensively? I really don’t know and will begin to draw that opinion based on what happens with the Cubs.

Much like I did with Dusty Baker. Unfortunatley, I found out Baker isn’t much of a manager. Hopefully, Rudy is much of a hitting coach.

One can only hope he wasn’t hired to baby sit hasbro since hasbro had his best year under him, as a DH albeit.

go cubs go

I think that Texas didn’t like Jaramillo’s aggressive coaching. He encourages alot of “first pitch” swinging type of mentality. The 2008 cub’s success had alot to do with their ability to take pitches.

That being said, their 2009 was not successful and you cannot argue with the number of people who have just thrived (or come to life) under the Jaramillo system.

Overhyped? Maybe. Maybe people just read too much into the hype. I mean as far as hitting coach signings go it is a huge deal, but it is still just a hitting coach. It’ll be interesting to watch this develop throughout the season.

Kris

Players learn to hit as kids, and if what they learned then did not work, they would never have advanced far enough to even meet a ML hitting coach.

There’s truth to that, but it discounts the fact that players can pick up habits that will alter their swing. Get a little lazy and start dropping a shoulder, move your feet a little, change your grip–and it will affect your swing. I think the hitting coach’s job is to work through things like that. Derrek Lee even said that’s what happened this year–he needed someone to catch what had changed, and voila, he was out of his slump.

MJ

I think that Texas didn’t like Jaramillo’s aggressive coaching.

You guys realize that he didn’t accept the Rangeers offer to stay, right? It’s not like they just let him go.

Joe

offering him a 1 year deal is the equivalent to letting him go, in my opinion.

Doc Raker

Remember that conversation we had a short ways back about the playoff schedule, poor weather and playing to late in the season.

To bad Denver didn’t make the World Series, they would have to move it to Phoenix.

I am cautiously optimistic, anything we can do to get guys like Soriano, Theriot, Fontenot and Soto to hit like they did in 2008 will benefit the team. I remember Charlie Lau and he *did* make a difference with hitters, let’s hope Rudy does the same here.

go cubs go

“You guys realize that he didn’t accept the Rangeers offer to stay, right? It’s not like they just let him go.”

I have read stuff that Nolan Ryan was ready to “move in a new direction”

http://twitter.com/moondogkp MoondogKP

I’m for the move, mainly just to put a different voice. That’s all this was. And with his track record of taking a middling utility infielder and make him into our beloved Mark Derosa, I’m all for giving him a chance.

That said, I’m not sure what kind of impact the hitting coach has. Especially with Lou being a manager who can also work with hitters. Just hope Lou and Rudy don’t clash too much.

As for what I hope happens, I’m hoping for three .400 hitters, two guys to hit 60 homers and the highest team on-base percentage in history. Might as well shoot for the moon, right?

CubbieDude

Moondog – I like the way you think. Shoot for the moon!

BuckeyeCub

This is the same man who made Juan Gonzalez good enough to get an 8 year, $148M contract from the Detroit Tigers. Only for Gonzalez to turn it down. What an idiotic decision. He cost himself at least $100M by doing that. If we’re shooting for the moon, maybe he can do that with Hasbro, get some team to trade for him and then offer him an obscene contract and watch him refuse all the Cadillacs.

Speaking of Cadillacs, Moondog, your idea would earn players a lot of contracts. But why not top the 1927 Murderer’s Row Yankees. Those guys hit .307 as a team and had a slugging percentage of .489

BuckeyeCub

lol, contracts should be replaced with Cadillacs

http://drdecarlo@drmdecarlo.com Doc Raker

This is the same man who made Juan Gonzalez good enough to get an 8 year, $148M contract from the Detroit Tigers.

I think there was something else the Juan Gone was using that helped his hitting out. Sammy, McGuire, Conseco, ManRam and probably many others used a similar technique.

JoePepitone

1. FOR / AGAINST / INDIFFERENT – rate your approval or lack thereof for the signing of Rudy Jaramillo

——>For.

2. What do you expect to see from the team as a result of his signing? Perhaps specific predictions on individual players. (i.e. – Does this mean someone like Soriano, who has worked with Jaramillo in Texas, will have the return to breakout status we need?)

——>Top 5 ranking in NL in Runs Scored.

3. How much stock do you put in hitting coaches?

——>I think some people have a gift for seeing things as they are and in being able to communicate what they see effectively to other people.

Lizzie

Joe, my suggestion for the name of the series is “For the Record” or some catchier variation of that.